All For You
by Sensara
Summary: Joanna was his life and very breath...until S'Vec, relic of a bygone age, puts her in his debt. But S'Vec wants her gone, and V'Las would do anything to save her life...even give her up forever. Connects "Boundaries of Devotion" and "Insanity". Rated T for safety, short story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own V'Las (*sigh*...), but Joanna is mine, and S'Vec belongs to Fameanon, who also helped me write this fic.**_

_**A/N: I realized too late that I had written a huge discrepancy between "Boundaries of Devotion" and "Insanity". This short story will fix that. **_

V'Las slowly opened his eyes, memories of the previous night rushing back to him. He smiled openly, stroking his fingers down Joanna's bare back. Her skin was so smooth...so deliciously smooth...

He rolled her onto her back and nuzzled into her plump, rounded belly. A sudden thought came to him, and he pressed his ear to her stomach, as if he could hear the baby within. He was just about to pull away when he felt a small kick.

He looked up, his heart starting to race in anticipation, and he found Joanna was awake, smiling lovingly down at him.

"Amazing, isn't it?" she whispered, as if trying to preserve the preciousness of the moment. "Oh, V'Las..."

He pulled up and kissed her lips. "It is truly remarkable...you both are."

Jo gave her husband a lazy smile and threaded her fingers through his smooth silver lock. "As remarkable as her Daddy." She sighed and pulled him down to snuggle with he. "Hold me, sweetie, for a little bit longer...you're warm."

V'Las wrapped her up in his arms. "You keep calling our child a girl. Are you so sure it is and not a boy?"

She smiled. "I just have an instinct our first is going to be a girl."

"Our first?"

"Mm-hm, you don't think I'm going to want to stop at only one?" Her voice was husky, and her fingers moved from the innocent stroking of his hair to running up and down the sharp shell of his ear. "Practice makes perfect you know," she whispered, kissing him full on this thin lips, sending waves of desire to him through their bond.

He clutched her tightly, frowning in amazement, but an amusing idea bubbled to the surface of his mind. He chuckled into her mouth.

"What?" She was grinning at him, that uncertain but trusting grin she gave him when she wasn't fully up to speed with what he was saying. His expression softened.

"A highly illogical thought, my sweet," he whispered, stroking her face. "I want another child soon...as if I could get you pregnant when you are already full with child!" He chuckled again and kissed her deeply, his heart surging with peace and tranquility he had never known before. She calmed him, steadied him, made his mind sharper, quicker...even Somil was noticing the change, and that man, though brilliant in his own right, was incredibly blind when it came to personal matters.

He sighed, his mood turning slightly sour again. They would debate putting in a listening post at P'Jem and make a final decision at the end of the month, and of course, as he was ordered, V'Las was pushing for the post to be installed.

Joanna frowned and reached up, cupping his cheek. He turned his head, kissing her palm. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing that you need to be concerned about, my dear," he said. It was what he always said. "Things at work are so complex, sometimes even I have a hard time keeping up. I have my personal plans concerning my work, and if I succeed, things will be even better for both of us than they are now."

Her frown deepened, and she stroked her fingers lightly over his flesh, as if memorizing him. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know, my sweet, I know," he breathed, leaning further into her touch. "It's not that I don't trust you. I trust you with my very heart, soul and flesh, and it is yours to do with as you please...but you must understand." His tone turned colder, and more desperate. "There are some things from which I would spare you. You are trustworthy, you are intelligent...I am not disputing that at all. But for your own sake...some things I will not share, not now. Do you understand me, my love?"

"Not really, sweetie, but I trust you, so I'm not going to question it further," she said, wrapping her legs around his waist and grinding into him with a provocative giggle. "Because I love you. You are..." She nibbled at his neck and up his ear until she whispered, "amazing."

V'Las growled, feeling himself harden from her attention. He was about to lay claim to an unbitten piece of her neck when he heard the comm buzz. He looked up and she pulled him down again, the flash on the computer screen told him it was not Vulcan business, but his father. He let a low and frustrated growl and his length retracted.

Jo gasped. "Where did you go all of the sudden? I felt you on my leg and..."

V'Las looked down at at her and he pouted. "I must take this, my wife." He unraveled himself from her touch and his feet were on the floor before she could blink. "I'll be a moment. I'll take this in my office. Do not move, my pet...I will return."

"You'd better," she retorted, staring at him hungrily. He smirked as he got dressed, and she laid back down, stroking her hand over her swollen stomach. He reached out as he was tugging his pants back into place and held her hand over their child, taking a moment to savor this.

The comm beeped again, and he growled again, zipping his pants and storming out of the room.

He calmed himself before turning on the comm, and his father was there, his expression amused. V'Las swallowed thickly.

"Well, my son, that's the first time in a very long time that you've made me wait."

"Forgive me, father, I was not dressed."

He chuckled. "As if your nakedness matters to me? I've seen you naked before...remember that you are my child. I saw you nude when you came out of your mother, not a hair on your body. Your nakedness is not a very good excuse, but I suppose contact with your new slave has given you ridiculous ideas regarding modesty."

V'Las bowed his head, knowing better than to argue. "That is possible. What orders does my master bring me today?"

"These aren't orders, rather...I want to talk about this slave of yours."

He swallowed again. "What about her?"

S'Vec smiled. "You question me?" he said in a playful tone. "I'm your father, and am told you are expecting a child by this woman. You think I do not have the right to see her? To speak with her?" He slammed his fist into his desk and growled. "I have every right when it comes to you and anything you have in your possession." he spat. "It is only by my graces that _you_ are allowed to have her."

V'Las looked down.

"Whose poison was it that drove the humans mad and allowed you to take her as your own?"

"Yours, master."

"And who has placed you in the position of power you now hold?"

"You, my master."

"Then do not question me. All that I have done has benefited you greatly." He leaned back and flexed his black leather gloved hand so hard the leather groaned. "I will arrive on Vulcan tomorrow. You will have an elaborate dinner. I will speak with her. Do I make myself _abundantly clear_?"

V'Las bowed his head. "Indeed, master. It will be as you command."

The comm was shut off, and he slipped out of his shirt, which was haphazardly latched. He tossed it in the laundry and slipped back into bed with his beloved, schooling his features so she would not know what he was thinking.

"You're upset," she whispered as he nuzzled into her neck. He nuzzled harder.

"My father is coming tomorrow. You and I and him will have dinner together, here, in my house."

"Oh, good, I've always wanted to meet your folks."

He sighed into her flesh, holding her closer. She was so naive, so accepting of others. "I love you," he breathed, biting her neck. "I love you so much, Joanna. Please do not fault me for telling you, but I must...I must..."

He almost felt tears building up, and he held her as tightly as he could, marking her over and over again, flooding her mind with his devotion.

…

S'Vec stepped off the air bike and straightened his clothes, dusting himself off as he looked over his old home. He smirked. "It's been a long time," he muttered to himself, stepping toward the door. His original home was three times this big, and it sickened him that for secrecy's sake V'Las now lived in the shadow of his former estate.

He opened the door and walked in, forgoing the normal social conventions of knocking or buzzing the comm. He pulled off his gloves, glancing around at the space. It smelled better than the last time he was there, and there was even some decor now. He chuckled and nodded his head; it seemed the minister was putting the woman to good use.

"V'Las!" he called, sending an echo through the halls. "Where is my son?"

V'Las handed her another hanger and took the hung shirt from her, placing it carefully in the closet. They had gotten most of the way though the clean laundry, but he excused himself to go greet his father.

S'Vec, however, did not wait to be introduced, walking right into their bedroom and looking him up and down with an approving eye. "You've lost a little weight, son," he said, his mood jovial...for now. V'Las bowed his head in respect, but S'Vec was already striding up to Joanna, staring greedily at the plump bulge of her stomach.

"So this is the little minx who captured my son's attention, hm?" he asked, and Joanna straightened, smiling.

"Joanna Hudon," she said cheerfully, holding out her hand, then drawing it back. "Sorry, I forget sometimes. Human custom...old habits die hard, you know?"

"I do know," S'Vec purred, holding out his hand. She took it with a relieved grin, giving him a hardy handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," she said, her tone sincere. His poor wife...if only she knew what a monster she was shaking hands with...

"You know, my son, she has beautiful eyes," S'Vec said. He glanced at V'Las, and his son avoided his gaze. "What's the matter? You look...pensive."

He slid around and placed his arm around Joanna's shoulder. "Your husband is so readable, T'Sai. Has been since he was a babe in diapers. He's nervous." S'Vec smiled at V'Las, but a smirk played over his thin lips. "You shouldn't be nervous. I find your wife agreeable." V'Las relaxed for a moment, and S'Vec nudged the basket of clothes with his foot. "I see we are hanging laundry...allow me to help."

He lifted Jo's hands and kissed them above her knuckles. "Tell me my son hasn't made you cook anything elaborate for tonight's meal. We should have ordered out. He didn't tell me you were with child. We need to treat you delicately, no?"

"Not at all!" she exclaimed. "Well, I wouldn't go hiking up a volcano, but I'm tougher than I look. And sir, dinner was no trouble. I love spending time with your son, no matter what we're doing. Cooking for you was a delight."

S'Vec roared with laughter. "Son, she is a gem! No wonder you fell for her so quickly!"

Joanna smirked knowingly at him, sending him a pulse of love and devotion, and he clung to that sensation for as long as he could, sending her a pulse of love in return. 

S'Vec pulled Jo closer to him, holding her under his armpit as he grinned at V'Las. "My son, you didn't tell me she was so lovely. I'm hurt to the core. But I shall put it aside for now, and forgive everything if you allow me to taste your cooking. It would vex me terribly to think you worked so hard in your condition, and me not partake. That said," he slowly starting walking with her toward the kitchen area, ignoring V'Las, "you must allow me to take you to dinner in Shi'Kahr tomorrow. T'Kuht is rising, and the exclusive rooftop restaurant has a wonderful view."

He smiled wide. "What do you say, my new daughter? Can I tempt thee with such a delight? I'll be terribly hurt if you say no." He pouted playfully for her.

Jo giggled; she had never seen a Vulcan man act as he was it was...endearing. "I have no problem with it, if my husband says it's ok."

S'Vec's eyes widened and he smiled. "Oh that was a delicious answer!"

V'Las winced at his word choice and carefully placed his hand on Joanna's shoulder, steering her towards the kitchen. "You must be hungry, my dear," he murmured to her, smiling ever so slightly at her. Her expression softened, and she wrapped her arm around him, letting them walk side by side into the dining room. The servants placed the dishes on the table, and V'Las took up the role of serving the table. There was no way he would allow his father to touch Joanna's food, and it wouldn't do to have Joanna serving S'Vec. He was still unsure regarding his father's motives, his plans for Joanna, so it was best to play it safe.

"Joanna, my dear, do you find your new marriage satisfactory?"

"Absolutely," she replied without any hesitation. He felt bolstered and stroked her fingers under the table. "He's a good man, and I love him."

S'Vec grinned and leaned forward. "I never would have thought my son one to end up with a human. What attracted you to him?"

She looked at him and grinned naughtily, and he gripped her hand. "He's got a bad boy streak in there that I find really attractive...but he's still a good person. Blunt, abrupt, even...but a good man."

He felt like he might break down in tears, and he squeezed her hand so hard she winced a little. _Forgive me, beloved_, he said in her mind. Indeed, he needed her forgiveness on many accounts...

S'Vec leaned back, his eyes becoming almost clouded in a dream-like state. They fluttered closed, and his hand lifted caressing a cheek that was not there.

"_Ashaya_," he whispered, swallowing thickly. "You hear her, do you not? A bad boy, but a good man. I was a good man, the best man for you."

V'Las's eyes widened. He had seen this behavior before, and he knew his father wasn't in the room with them anymore, at least his mind wasn't. Sometimes he became violent after these episodes, and other times he was placid. V'Las pulled Jo closer to him.

Jo looked at V'Las and then his father, he could feel confusion, and a pity mixed with empathy toward the man's sudden behavior. V'Las tried to give her a reassuring smirk as he repressed the growing fear in his stomach.

Then, as suddenly as he had fallen into the moment, S'Vec blinked and his eyes were as clear as an earth sky. He smiled. "I think we should bring Jo into the family. Totally into the family," he said clearly, and calmly. "I have had such a love too you know, Joanna. A beautiful woman, so devoted, so incredibly..."

He shivered with pleasure. "One only dreams of such a woman as she. She was made for me in every way..." He trailed off, circling the mashed _vespar_ root with his fork. "And eyes green like the foam of an Earth sea..."

"My sister has green eyes," Joanna offered calmly. "They are really beautiful, aren't they?"

"Indeed," S'Vec said, leaning forward, his eyes fixed on Joanna. "How old is your sister?"

"Sunni is...15? Yeah, 15. She'll turn sixteen this winter."

He leaned back again, his gaze still fixed on her, and he touched his fingertips together, staring at Jo over the top of his templed hands. "Your parents must be proud of her...and of you! Married to a minister of the High Command...many Vulcan women would be more than honored to...what is the phrase? Be in your shoes?"

She blushed, squeezing his hand under the table. "I know I'm lucky." She fixed her adoring gaze on him, and he breathed in slowly. "Very, very lucky."

"Do you think Sunni would enjoy Vulcan? You should have her visit."

Joanna grinned. "Sunni is a very adventurous type of girl. I think she'd love it here!"

S'Vec grinned. "Good, then it's settled! Your sister should come and visit. We can make it a family...what's the phrase? Union?"

"Reunion?" Jo offered softly.

"So it is." S'Vec took a bite of his food and moaned in pleasure. "My son, your wife...her cooking skills are beyond compare!" He dabbed his mouth with his napkin and then focused on Jo again. "Tell me, from a human perspective, how fare the newly wedded humans and Vulcans? My son has spoken of it, but in only clinical terms. I wish to hear it from a human perspective. Would you say the joinings are mostly successful?"

"I think so. We weren't expecting this to go this way, but I think most of the women are content with their new husbands."

V'Las let out a slow breath and took another bite of food. "You are correct, father, she does cook quite well. She's taught me a thing or two."

"Aunt Juniper joined a Neo-hippie commune in her 20s. I don't agree with her principles, but she did bring back some cool recipes for vegetarians."

"Neo-hippie?"

"Oh, they're a group who want to get in touch with nature and stuff like that. Rid themselves of the constraints of society...I think they're kind of weird, and Aunt Juniper was always a weird one."

S'Vec smirked, but V'Las stroked her fingers under the table. _My father isn't a vegetarian, my sweet. Could you fetch dessert?_

"I like the fact you don't buy into all that Neo-hippie...as you say, philosophy!" S'Vec said with a broad smile as Jo got up to grab the dessert. He pouted. "Where are you going, my dear?"

"To get the dessert," Jo said, glancing at V'Las with a loving gaze.

"Ah, the decadent end to a human meal! I am looking forward to seeing what you have prepared." He nodded and watched her walk out of the dining area. He picked up his tea. "You really should have more servants. Your wife shouldn't be fetching things." He smirked at his son, finally meeting his gaze. "But that would mean she'd be here when you asked whatever question lingers on your lips for me. Do go on...ask away."

"What do you have planned for her? And what about her sister? I've met her over subspace...she's only a girl."

"She could be an important key in a chain of events you do not understand," S'Vec said with a jackal grin. "I want to meet her, and I will. Would you rather me meet her in my own way?"

He blanched at that. "No, master," he murmured, and he fell silent when Joanna came back in, carrying eclairs.

"These were fun to figure out," she said cheerfully, passing the plate to V'Las. "Took a few trial runs, didn't it?"

"Yes, my sweet, it did," he replied, his eyes twinkling at the memory of their experimentation. The first batch of choux pastry had gone terribly wrong.

S'Vec took one of the delicacies from the plate and bit down. He moaned as he chewed, gently patting the table until he swallowed.

"Now that, my girl, is a slice of the divine! Wonderful!" he mumbled and took the other half in one bite. He chewed it up and licked the cream from his fingers. "V'Las, my boy, Joanna is a keeper!" He chuckled. "And I can hardly wait to meet your sister."

S'Vec scooted his chair back. "Allow me to clear the plates while the two of you talk...I'm afraid we are going to have to have a serious discussion after the dishes are done."

V'Las stood and frowned. "No, father, Jo and I will clear the dishes-"

"No." he said firmly. "You stay and talk with your _ashaya_. I can see to this. Time, my son...time is always of the essence, and you should spend the currency of it with she who you love...while you can."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Fameanon for writing this with me, and to Ahlysha for reviewing.**_

"While you can?" Joanna hissed when S'Vec was out of the room. "What-"

"I think my father is referring to the impending birth of our child, Joanna," V'Las murmured. "The majority of our time will be with our child then, and we will not have as much time to ourselves."

"Right," she said with a smile, and his heart clenched at the sight of how insecure it was. She was starting to question things...she was always an intelligent creature...

"You know we haven't thought about a name," she whispered, stroking over her stomach. "We should be able to know the sex of the baby next week...I checked. I have no names to put out on the table...any ideas?"

"If it's a girlchild...I've always been agreeable to the name T'Ev. One of the administrative assistants in the Education Directorate has that name. She and her colleagues gave a presentation to the High Command last year, and that name stayed with me."

Jo grinned. "I like that name. T'Ev...T'Ev," she said several times, tasting the name on her tongue.

She laid her head on his shoulder. "What was up with your dad getting all weird there for a minute and...why isn't he a vegetarian?" She glanced up at him. "I mean, I like him, don't get me wrong, baby, but he isn't like any Vulcan man I've ever seen or met before. And I've met a lot in my line of work."

"My sweet...he is a very different kind of Vulcan. In a way, he is what we truly are, emotive, omnivorous...more primal than what you see on the surface. It is his personal philosophy that Surak was wrong, that we need not cast away emotion to survive. I would not suggest arguing over this point with him."

"That sounds interesting, though! I mean, rebellion on your world is almost never tolerated...I wish him luck."

V'Las smirked and pulled her closer. "There are so many things that you do not understand, my Joanna...I wish I had the courage to teach thee."

"And you should teach her," S'Vec barked from the doorway, a servant bearing a tray of tea on his father's heels.

When they looked at him, he smiled. "I had the servant make tea for us. Knowing you wouldn't completely trust me, my son. As I was saying, you should teach her, if she is one of us, one of our family," he purred, and he crossed back over to the table, standing there for a moment, towering over the two of them. When the young servant left he turned and closed the door, locking it with a complicated algorithm.

"You've brought her into the family, you treat her as your equal, so I must assume she is to be one of us. Our family. The lineage of S'Vec. If that is the case, then by all means, the teaching should begin. It would be better if she were educated, for all concerned. Or aren't you proud of your...old man?"

V'Las felt that Joanna was starting to get frightened, that she was confused, and he offered her the only thing he could: calm and control. His father was not very good at controlling his impulses, but V'Las was proud to say he was better than his father at schooling himself, keeping himself hidden.

"I did not want to burden her with...family secrets."

"Why not, my son?"

He turned to his wife and stroked her cheek. "She is happy not knowing. I did not want to burden her with the secrets we have kept over the years."

_V'Las._

What I say is true, he countered._ My first priorities are your safety and your happiness, both of which I have maintained by keeping things from you. But that does not mean I do not hold the highest regard for you. I do this because I love you, Joanna, and I don't want you to get hurt. _

"How touching," S'Vec said, clapping slowly, his expression mocking. "Unfortunately, I'm not giving you a choice in this, V'Las. She either needs to be one of us or she needs to be gone." No offense to you, little T'Sai, but V'Las is more than you know he is...he is more than he seems to be, as am I. You need to be a part of our plan, or it simply isn't safe for anyone. You see that delightful bad boy streak you so admire in him? That comes from me...from my plans, my raising him to do these things he does. "

S'Vec gasped, as if in sudden realization. "Perhaps V'Las does not wish you to know the truth because he fears you'll leave him if he tells you." He faced the minister. "Is that it, my son? Do you fear losing her?"

V'Las didn't answer, but Joanna did the strangest thing. She got up from her seat on the couch and moved to his other side, then wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head beneath his chin. She was covering his entire left side...covering his heart. He felt his spirit crumble.

_Joanna, what are you doing?_

I'm not leaving you. Who is he?

My father has been around for a very long time, and he has an agenda. To resist, to disobey would mean death, or the death of all you love. I had nothing before now, ambition, to be sure, but nothing to care for. Until you came.

She fixed a defiant stare on S'Vec, as if daring him to come towards V'Las. She gripped him tight, her little heart pounding in tandem with his.

S'Vec laughed. "Already you fear. Even when I have placed no threat before you. I merely want you educated. If you are of my house, then you need to know," he said in a lilting tenor. "And you can fix that defiant glance elsewhere, my dear, or I'll take your eyes from your sockets." His voice was just as calm.

Sitting, he poured himself some tea, and then a cup for both V'Las and Joanna. "Sit, little T'Sai. It is time you learn what your bad boy truly is." He shot a glare at V'Las. "And speak openly. I know the look of two speaking through a bond, and up until now I've been most patient. From here out in my presence, if you have something to say, then you will say it openly or not at all."

He pushed the tea toward both of them and picked up his, sipping it with an air of ease about him. "Now, tell her who you are...who you really are, V'Las."

Joanna squeezed him tighter, and he looked down at her, staring into her eyes.

_Forgive me,_ he said quickly, then stroked her face.

"I have been ordered to reunify Romulus and Vulcan. Before you ask, Romulans are an offshoot of Vulcans, our cousins. They left this planet for other shores shortly after Surak's teachings began taking hold over Vulcan. My father believes that re-unification, a reuniting of our cousins and my people, will bring him closer to his goal, which I am not sure of. Truly, father, your end goal is ambiguous to this day."

S'Vec smirked. "Go on. Tell her about the night you bonded with her."

"For reasons that I do not fully comprehend, my father gave me the code to a virus, a pathogen that would only attack human females, would render them helpless, kill them...unless they bonded with a Vulcan male. I made the virus, Joanna. I made all the women at the Embassy fall ill. I gave a dose to Tawny Townsend, your friend, on a separate occasion. I forced their hands, and I am responsible for the two who died."

Tears filled her eyes, and she cupped his cheek. "You were ordered to?"

"Yes," he whispered. "But I made sure you were targeted, that you would trust me...why do you trust me, Joanna?"

"Because I know deep down in your heart that you are good," she whispered. "The reasons don't matter when it comes to us. Am I upset that women died over this? Of course. But...you've made me happy, V'Las, happier than I've ever been. And I love you. I'll always love you."

S'Vec gave a genuine smile. "My son is a good boy. He is a very good boy, Joanna, and you know that. So do I. "

He fell silent and let the two nuzzle each other as he sighed, relaxed. "You see now, Joanna? The truth is liberating. Nothing he tells you from now on will drive you from his side. Secrets that would have destroyed you, had you found out through other means, might have compromised your relationship," he said with a smirk. "As to the two women who died, well...they had the option not to die, they in their xenophobia chose to end their lives rather than take even the temporary measure that would have healed them. Their choice. A suicide, really, rather than a murder." He shrugged and frowned before sipping his tea again.

"Go, drink your tea, relax...We are family now, act accordingly. You are one of us now, Joanna. And I am going to give you both more information now..." S'Vec gently pointed to the chairs. "Please, relax...the worst is assuredly over."

V'Las relaxed a fraction, sending her more calm and control, and she relaxed into his body. He stroked his hand over her stomach, letting his fingers linger near her navel. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, kissing her softly, and he avoided S'Vec's amused gaze. He felt sick with himself, and even more unworthy of Joanna than he had when she was struck down with the virus, when she was near death.

"Sir, the first woman to die wasn't xenophobic. She was a member of the maintenance crew, and she died before the doctors figured out how to cure the virus."

"An unfortunate casualty of the plan," he admitted, though V'Las was sure he didn't give a damn who the woman was. "The doctors should have found the answer more quickly. It was staring them in the face, but their prejudice refused to let them see it."

Joanna fell silent, knowing better than to argue. She leaned further into him, and he gripped her hand.

"Speak, father," V'Las said, his tone subservient. "We're both listening."

"We are working toward the unification...reunification of our people. We," he pointed at himself, "were driven from this planet by Surak's neo-hippies. They were wrong. My people have proven it, and we want to come home, Joanna. We've been in exile for 1500 years."

Tears welled up in his eyes and he looked away. "Do you know the pain of being outcast for so long?" His hand slowly crept towards his side, and his fingers dug into his flesh, as if he was trying to rip out his own heart.

"There is more, and to a great degree, the motivation beyond the desire to call my homeland mine again." He looked out the window. "Surak's wife..." he purred sweetly. "She was not of that time. She came from the future. A future when humans crawled over the skies, and Vulcans and humans bonded. She was...or rather is, or will be...half human."

He turned to them both, a smile gently touching his lips even as tears still fell from his eyes. "Do you see now why it is essential that humans and Vulcans overcome their prejudices?"

"Why her?"

Joanna's question was honest; she was genuinely confused. S'Vec smirked.

"If you had seen her...if you knew her...you wouldn't ask that question."

"Why do you want my sister to come to Vulcan?"

He smirked again, and V'Las squeezed her hand. "She may be important in the grand scheme of things. I'd know her eyes anywhere...Surak's wife, not your sister, mind you. Unless your sister has my T'Lyn's eyes."

V'Las felt even more sick than before, and he stroked Joanna's hair. _I'm sorry_, he said in her mind. _I'm so sorry_.

Joanna stood and grabbed her PADD, tapping at it; she handed it to S'Vec. "That's my sister."

S'Vec looked at it and frowned. "No, she is not my T'Lyn's predecessor." He made a mental note to test her genetics. He tapped at his own PADD, and his frown deepened.

"Oh dear," he muttered. "That isn't good." He looked at Joanna. "I have information that is most unfortunate."

She stared at him, fear blooming in her eyes again. "What is it?

"According to my records, your sister, Sunni, will be murdered...and not too long from now," he said gravel. "I think we can save her..."

"What?" Joanna whimpered, clutching to him like a lifeline. V'Las slowly held out his hand for the PADD.

"But these chain of events lead to two other partnerships," he said, his heart clenching in pain. "Is it so wise to change the events of history, father? I'm not sure if she's from this time or not."

"And you know this how, my son?"

V'Las had no answer, but simply handed S'Vec the PADD. "So what do we do to save her?"

"I can save her without altering the time line," S'Vec said smoothly. "I will return."

He tapped his wrist, and looked at V'Las and Jo. "I will see you in two days. If I fail, I will comm you."

He sighed and disappeared in the swirl of a green energy pattern.

V'Las watched as S'Vec dissolved into thin air, and once he was gone, he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.

"You must hate me."

"I love you."

"I did terrible things."

"You had no choice."

"You're rationalizing for me. I don't have any logical explanations for what I have done."

She turned his face towards her. "Like I said, I don't think he would have let you get out alive had you not obeyed his commands. Tell me, sweetheart, my beloved...if he had killed you before we met, would we be here together. Would our child be here?"

"No," he conceded, stroking her hair. "I love you, my wife. No matter what happens, remember that."

…

_She had to be dead._

_There was no way a living person could feel so broken, so tired, so out of sync with their own body. She had to be dead._

_That Vulcan had won, in the end. She had tried to fight when he put his fingers on her face, but it was no use. Her mind was torn to shreds, and she thought it amazing that she was still able to form coherent thoughts. She wasn't sure what he had done to her mind, but her head felt like it might split in two any second now. Her body, two, felt shattered, and a tear fell down her cheek and stained the blood-soaked sheets..._

_She closed her eyes and gave in to the darkness..._

"_Sunni..."_

_She groaned, noting the pain had abated somewhat. The last things she remembered was the sensation of drowning in her own blood..._

"Sunni."

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze locking onto pupils of the brightest blue. She thought she knew those eyes, from somewhere...it had something to do with Joanna...

"Welcome aboard, Ms. Hudon," a tenor voice purred above her, and on closer inspection, it seemed that the pair of blue eyes and the voice belonged to the same man, someone who looked very Vulcan, and not at all stoic. She tensed.

"Come now, my dear, I just saved you from fire and death, and that's all the thanks you can give?"

"Where am I?" she croaked, and she lifted her hand to feel a thin scar across her throat. "What happened?"

"You seem to remember it. You were talking in your sleep, Ms. Hudon."

She frowned and tried to sit up, but laid back down with a cry as her insides protested.

"Yes, I would lay still for a while if I were you," the man said. "Such a terrible ordeal you've been through, too...Vulcans can be such beasts, can't they?"

She moaned and clutched at her abdomen, tears welling in her eyes as she remembered why that area hurt so much.

The man looked pained, and she smiled weakly up at him. "Where am I? You said something about a ship?"

He raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. "Good observations, my dear. Now do get some rest while we find you something to eat."

A hypospray was pressed to her neck, and she was out cold again, sinking into darkness.

…

Joanna was pacing in the garden when a hand stopped her and turned her around, and she knew the grip of that hand could not be from V'Las. S'Vec was standing before her, his eyes twinkling in victory.

"Sunni?"

"Is safe aboard my ship. You can see her, if you wish."

"Now?"

"There is no time like the present, is there? V'Las just left to go to work, and I'm sure your sister would be glad to see a familiar face. Poor thing's been through hell and back."

"What happened to her?"

"My dear, I'd rather not talk about such despicable occurances with a lady. Come, let us go and have some tea with your sister."

Joanna nodded, and S'Vec tapped the same panel on his wrist, calling for a beam-out. She gasped as her body seemed to dissolve, and for a moment she was frightened, but she materialized on a platform, whole again. She placed a hand on her stomach and received a kick in reply. Her daughter was still going strong.

She was greeted by the sight of several guards, all of whom saluted S'Vec as he walked off the platform and gave her hungry looks when his back was turned.

"Are you coming?" he said crisply, and she hurried after him, following dutifully through several winding corridors before they stepped through a set of sliding doors into what appeared to be a sickbay.

Sunni was resting on the bed furthest away from the door, but her sister sat up when Joanna cried out in relief.

"Sunni, sweetheart!" she yelped, waddling over to her baby sister.

"Jo!" the girl screamed, leaping off the bed, wincing as she doubled over in pain. "Sorry, long story...oh my stars, I thought you were dead, Jo!"

"What?" she asked, confused. "I thought _you _were going to die."

"Well, I was, until S'Vec saved me. Mind you, I didn't escape...well, I'll tell you that part later...but I'm here! And you!"

Sunni smacked Joanna upside the head. "What were you thinking, dying on us like that? Mom and Dad couldn't look me in the eye for weeks, and you would not _believe _how long I've cried over you!" Her sister was sobbing now. "I missed you so much, Jo! I thought you were supposed to be happy on Vulcan, even if you were away from the family, but then you died, and Mom stopped talking to me, and Dad lost his job, and...I missed you!"

"Sunni, I'm right here!" she insisted, pulling her sister close. "I'm not dead, you know."

"But they sent us a report from Vulcan and everything..."

Joanna turned around and frowned at S'Vec, looking for an explanation, but all the man did was laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Ahlysha, bina W, maba7x and the anon reviewer for reviewing! And thank you to Fameanon for helping me write this!**_

S'Vec tapped his finger against his leg as he waited for V'Las to take off in his private flitter before giving the signal. He sent V'Las an encrypted message with explicit orders not to read it or even open it, and he smiled as his son forwarded the message as instructed. He at least knew how to obey some orders.

He nodded to the transport chief and counted to ten, then walked into the room to see V'Las being restrained in the interrogation chair.

"Father," the minister said, obviously frightened and confused. S'Vec picked up a chip from the surgery table, examining it for flaws. There were none.

"Father, how have I displeased you?"

"You are weak, my son. Far too weak. You allowed yourself to develop feelings for this scrap of a girl, and if she stays with you, I feel you may...lose your touch."

"Never, father! I would never, and having Joanna in my life has only strengthened my resolve to do exactly what you desire of me." He tried not to struggled against the restraints as he looked into his father's burning blue eyes. "I have done all you have asked without question. I will continue to do such, father. You are my master, and I ask little in return...I do love Joanna, but allow me to keep this love, please...I have nothing without her that is my own."

S'Vec laughed. "Haven't you realized? You own nothing, because everything you own is mine. This," he held up the chip, "will allow you to remember her, but only when I activate it. Unfortunately, you'll have to do without her for now."

His son's eyes widened. "What have you done with her?"

"She's safe," he replied calmly. "She's aboard my ship, and I'll put her to work as one of my servants. She'll be protected under my orders, I assure you."

V'Las looked rather green, as if he might vomit, but then he blinked rapidly. It seemed he was on the verge of tears. "Thank you, father," the minister whispered.

"However, we will have to sever the bond you share. The device won't work on a bonded mind...strange how that works. I guess having someone else there to recall things for you goes against the point of it all, don't you agree?"

His son let out a long, low moan. "What about Joanna? If you sever the bond-"

"I have raised hundreds from the dead, and you question whether or not I can help one girl survive a broken bond?" He laughed.

"Our child..."

"Will be safe with me. Your daughter will come to love her Papa S'Vec. Don't you worry, V'Las, my boy. All that you love is in good hands."

S'Vec nodded to the surgeon.

"You may begin."

…

Kuvak sighed as he watched Tawny blow her nose for the fourteenth time that day, and he thought his wife looked rather drab in the black dress she had donned. The bulge in her stomach was quite pronounced by now, and he stroked her gently as she turned back to him and straightened his robes.

"You look nice," she croaked, her voice cracking from lack of use, and the fact that she had cried off and on since receiving news of Joanna's death. He knew his wife was a sensitive soul, and it pained him to see her in pain.

But most of all, he regretted that V'Las had finally found someone who seemed to center him and make him happy, only to lose her and his child. Kuvak could think of nothing worse than that fell blow that his fellow minister had received.

"Are you ready?" he said softly, offering her his calm and peace. She took it.

"Yes," she whimpered and buried her head in the crook of Kuvak's shoulder.

...

V'Las stood in the center of the room, his hands folded neatly before him. He felt numb. Not angry or sad, as even in his logic he should feel, but the type of numb that felt like thousands of pins and needles dancing in his very _katra_. He didn't remember being married, though his father had given him orders that he was to act grieved. He blinked and shook his head. As hard as he tried, he could not call a person's face to his mind. Surely, this was a deception of his father's. No woman had ever desired him, so it was logical to assume that this woman never really existed, or did and his father had killed her after making the illusion of his marriage.

He took a step toward the casket. Frowning, he reached out and touched its smooth surface. He wondered if it was as empty as he felt, or if like him it contained the body of a person betrayed and murdered by his father.

He turned when he felt a small, feminine hand on his shoulder. Tawny Townsend was there, dressed in black, her eyes rimmed red from crying.

"I grieve with thee," she whispered sincerely. "And I'm so sorry...if you need anything, just let us know, ok?"

He nodded automatically, his gaze turning to Kuvak, who looked dour as he examined the casket. "I grieve with thee, V'Las," he said in Vulcan, as was appropriate for the occasion. He bowed his head and turned away from them, and he heard Tawny whisper that she wanted a moment to talk to him alone. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she might saw to him.

"She loved you," Tawny breathed, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "She loved you more than life itself, V'Las...minister. Never ever ever forget that, ok? She couldn't stop talking about you, and you made her so happy...you gave her everything she could have wanted. You did good."

She gave him a hug, and he wondered if Kuvak would be upset that she was affording him this intimacy. But she didn't let go for several seconds, and he could feel that she was supportive, and truly grieved with him. Fascinating.

"Never forget," she whispered again. Then she nodded to him and went to Kuvak's side, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

V'Las cleared his throat. He was getting angry for some reason. It seemed as if this deception was not a deception. His lips thinned; perhaps he was married, and a woman did want him, and his father had killed her and ripped it all from his mind. He turned back to the casket and placed his palm on the smooth surface. His mind began to burn and ache. _What point was there in all of this?_ he wondered.

He stared at the black expanse of the coffin. What sick game was his father playing? He might never know, and all he might ever know of a contentment that he may or may not have had was a coffin that could contains something, or just as probably contained nothing.

He felt another female hand on his shoulder and he turned. He recognized her, Kiki...that rang something in his mind but...it was like chasing smoke trying to understand what.

"Minister...I want to thank you for all you and Jo did for me." She sniffed and tears ran down her cheeks. "She loved you, and...you would have been a good father."

She turned to the Vulcan man at her side. "I can't do this," she squeaked. "I can't be unemotional...take me home, please."

V'Las' eyes widened. The longer he stood here, the more anger burned in his veins. His head felt like a _sehlat_ tooth was being rammed into his skull, and it was a pain he could not suppress.

Another hand landed on his shoulder, and he whipped around to face whoever else was here. It was another one of the secretaries from the Embassy, and she was crying openly. The minute he turned around, she embraced him, hard, squeezing him as if she felt his pain as keenly as he did.

"It aches, doesn't it?" she whispered into his shoulder. "Not having her here? It's like a hole is gone from our world."

He said nothing, and she pulled back, smiling at him through the tears. "I know you must be a wonderful man, minister," she said, her voice sounding odd from the mixed emotions she fed into it. "Joanna was so smart, and she wouldn't have picked anyone but the best. We're all here for you, if you need us."

She gestured out at the crowd, at all the women seated in the room, all the Vulcan males and other staff members from the Embassy here to say goodbye to a woman he couldn't even remember. But they all did, and it confounded him.

He looked down just in time for the Vulcan man with the woman who just hugged him to press a small PADD into his hand. He raised the _ta'al_ to V'Las and then took the human's two fingers and walked away. V'Las turned from the group. He was shaking in anger. What fresh hell was this?

He tapped the PADD on, and there was a single picture there, a beautiful, brown-haired, brown-eyed woman, sitting wantonly on his lap. Her midriff was slightly swollen.

He ground his teeth; his father...if he discovered she truly existed and they were bonded, his father would pay for whatever he had done. He would pay, and pay in blood.

V'Las threw his robes over his wrists and stuffed the PADD into a side pocket. He could do this no more. He rushed from the place of death and grieving. He did not belong here, not for this woman who he did not know, yet suspected that he loved.

…

Joanna gently laid T'Anna's head on her shoulder, stroking her daughter's long, curly hair. Her daughter had been blessed with good looks from both sides, and Joanna often saw V'Las in her. It felt as if someone were stabbing her heart each time she thought of him. She had not seen him in four years, and she was beginning to suspect it would be a very long time before they were reunited.

"_My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,__  
__There is nothing can console me but my jolly sailor bold.___

_While up aloft in storm, from me his absence mourn,__  
__And firmly pray arrive the day he's never more to roam..._"

She hummed another strain of the song, and T'Anna yawned. Joanna smiled ruefully and closed her eyes as well, sighing as her heart panged.

The door swished open, and she slowly opened her eyes. She thought she must be dreaming, that it was all an illusion. She had been thinking of V'Las lately, and now he was in her dreams. But he never stayed for long, and often disappeared into smoke when she tried to touch him in her dreams. She didn't even bother getting up.

"Stop haunting me," she pleaded quietly. T'Anna frowned at her. "I've had enough of this hell, and I know you're not real."

V'Las blinked, and he could feel himself trembling. The girlchild was about the age his child would be. He was beginning to remember now, now that his father had taken the chip out of his brain, the chip that suppressed and manipulated his memory. He stepped forward, ignoring her command.

He stopped mid-step. What if she knew, and no longer desired him? What if she knew that he had taken a priestess to the bed that should have been hers?

His mouth went dry. "Joanna, if you..." his voice was thin, "do not wish me to be here I will go...but...I would..." He stepped forward again. "I want to know you again if you would allow it..."

She slowly stood up. It sounded like V'Las, looked like V'Las...this apparition seemed like it might be real. She was so tired...she stepped a little closer, and he did not disappear.

"Are you my V'Las?" she whispered, edging closer. He remained solid, and she slowly reached out her hand towards his chest. She squeezed her tear-filled eyes shut and took another step forward, and her fingertips met a solid body.

Her eyes flew open, and he was still there, the most heart-wrenching look of sorrow on his face. She fisted the material of his shirt, amazed that it was solid, and she broke out into tears as she stepped closer. He was still there, still real, and she stroked her hand over his silver hair, down to his cheek, which was as warm as she remembered his skin to be. His eyes still shone bright blue, like they had before, and an indescribable noise came out of her mouth as she sealed her lips desperately over his.

She kissed him, squeezed him, scratched her fingers down his back, mussed up his hair, toyed with his fingers, squeezed his hand to feel that long-lost jolt of electricity.

"Oh, my dearest, sweetest V'Las...oh, baby, I missed you so much!" She descended into fresh sobs, but kissed him anyway. She didn't want to let go.

V'Las wrapped his arms around her, and even though it disgusted him that she would kiss him, him who did not deserve her devotion, he could not help but kiss her back. He pulled back and looked into her face. It all made sense to him now, that funeral four years ago. Tears welled up in his eyes.

A little tug came to his robes drew his attention. He looked down and knelt before her. She had dainty points at her ears and bright blue eyes. She smelled like his child, and she was beautiful. He placed his palm at her cheek. "You..."

Joanna knelt with him. "This is T'Anna...she's our child." Jo sniffed and stroked her hand through T'Anna's hair. "Baby girl, this is your father..." she whispered.

V'Las's mouth opened and a small smile lit over his eyes. T'Anna rubbed her eyes and nodded.

The door opened again and T'Anna's eyes lit up. She ran toward the door.

"Papa!" She leaped into the man's arms and he kissed her cheek.

"There is my good girl!" S'Vec said, stepping into the room. "Did you say hi to your daddy?"

She nodded that she did and he gently pinched her cheek. "Good girl! Well, it seems that my son has gotten here before me. I was just coming to say that your husband is back from his mission. Not to worry now, Joanna, my dear...he's home for good. No more of Vulcan for you...for either of you. He did well, and has earned some rest time."

He kissed T'Anna's cheek. "But I'll still make time for you, my little grandchild."

"Yay!" T'Anna squealed, hugging him tightly. Joanna could see that V'Las looked pale, and slightly green, but she simply embraced him from behind and closed her eyes. Part of her hell was gone now, but what to do about T'Anna and S'Vec?

"Thank you for this, father," V'Las said, though Joanna thought she heard the tiniest edge of coldness in his voice. S'Vec laughed.

"Not at all, my boy! My little angel can stay the night with me so you two can catch up, hm? Meet me for breakfast, bright and early."

"Yes, father," he replied, and Joanna nodded.

"Be good for your papa, T'Anna," she instructed her daughter, but the girl was already chatting away with S'Vec, off down the hall. She felt tears well up in her eyes again as the door closed, but his warm fingers brushed them away. She leaned into his touch.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered, and she shook her head.

"I didn't know about priestesses, V'Las!" she admitted. "I thought...I told S'Vec that if you had to have anyone...Desiree seemed like such a nice girl, and I didn't know she was already with Oratt...I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I did that to you, but baby, I didn't want you dead!"

V'Las embraced her. "I betrayed you...I would have rather died than go to another's bed." He openly sobbed. "I went to the priestess...I betrayed our marital bed, my vows to you, and I have not kept you safe."

He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her legs, and he buried his face in her thighs. "Forgive me, Joanna...I have been so selfish. I wanted you...and because I could not walk away, you have been here all these years. I have betrayed you."

He let the tears flow, four years of pain and loss flooding through his damaged brain. He was begging at her feet for her to forgive him.

He picked her up and pulled her to him. "If I live 90 years more, Joanna, I will heal this terrible thing. I will do nothing but that for all of my life."

"I love you," she whimpered. "I couldn't be there to help you when you needed me, and although it hurts me to think you've been with someone else, it was...logical. I love you. I love you so much it hurts me, and there were so many things I wanted to tell you that I never told you...there's so much to learn about each other, so we can grow stronger, together, right, my love?"

She kissed away his tears and gently pressed her lips against his. "I want to just...crawl inside your body," she said with a strangled laugh. "I want to just live within you, so you're never away from me ever again."

He lifted his hands to her neck, and she grinned for the first time in a very long time, and she sighed in contentment as he bonded with her again. "Yes," she breathed. "Thank you."

"No," he murmured, covering her lips with his finger. "Thank you."

She pressed her forehead to his, and they stayed silent for a long time, holding each other, crying together, touching each other. She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"He saved my sister," she said finally, her voice hoarse. "After that pig raped her mind. I'm going to thank Strom if I ever see him again. At the rate S'Vec is going, that doesn't seem too far-fetched now."

V'Las looked confused. "What do you mean, _ashaya_? Strom is not a target of my father. is he?"

She looked at him with pained eyes. "He killed the pig that raped my little sister. She's here, on this station, wherever we are, and she thinks S'Vec is wonderful. And I can't make her see otherwise."

V'las shook his head, and she sighed into his embrace.

"Oh, baby..." She ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll talk later, ok...for now, I just want to hold you, touch you...remember what it's like to be with my husband again..."

She purred, nipping at his neck. "Lay down with me, baby...let's get undressed and...I just need to feel you."

V'Las picked her up and lay her gently on the bed. "As you wish, _a'duna_."


End file.
